Fireworks season begins

The sides are up on the colorful roadside tents. The bargain signs already are out. This is the first day of the fireworks sales season.

About 1300 retail fireworks stands have opened for their three-week sales season for Independence Day. They’re regulated by the state fire marshal’s office which makes sure the fireworks being sold don’t cross over into the category of "explosive."

State fire marshal Randy Cole says he and his staff have reviewed the new stuff. He says his office has a good working relationship with the fireworks industry and that several dealers work with his office on proper safety standards and other regulations.

Cole says his inspectors find some stands every year that sell illegal fireworks. But it’s usually only a small percentage of them. Occasionally, he says, somebody tries to make their own fireworks. He says that’s a bad idea and points to one case a few months ago in which a man was badly injured when his homemade firework blew up.